About this Book

Reviews

I enjoyed reading this book very much and wished I was there in the flat with the women to share their experiences. The book was well written, very descriptive and touching.

Adilene Martinez

A Must Read And I Will Tel You Why . . .

I've just completed reading The Bookseller of Kabul about a few minutes ago. This book has not a single climax, it has various. It has as well various antagonists and protagonists. It is like a lot of little stories gathered together in a book. Of course, all have a similar connection to each other. In basic words, this book is a work of art. At first I thought the author might be Afghan, but I doubted it since the name "Asne Seierstad" does not sound Persian or Islamic. What led me to think the author might be Afghan is the vivid imagery and knowledge this person had about Afghan life. I said to myself, "Either this author is Afghan, or a genius." It turned out to be a genius.

sne Seierstad used magical creativity to describe the accuracy of the feelings of an Afghan family. I ignored the prologue of the book because I wanted to jump into the story. It was not after finishing the book that I took interest in reading it. In the prologue Seierstad writes, "Readers have asked me, 'How do you know what goes inside the heads of the various family members?'. I am not of course, an omniscient author. Internal dialogue and feelings are based entirely on what family member’s described to me." When reading the book you might encounter many feelings rushing through your body: some beat in your heart, some reside heavily in your lungs, and some run down you spine. Also, when reading this book you catch symbolism of the characters, especially within the women. Bibi Gul represents what Afghanistan was.

Sonya and Bulbula represent what Afghanistan is. Sharifa, Leila and Shakila represent what Afghanistan wants to be. Sultan represents the factor reason Afghanistan cannot progress. I hated reading while in junior high and some years of high school. It is thanks to authors like this who have pulled me out of that hole. Magnificent fifty-trillion times cubed!

Guendalina

just Asne

This isn't simply a book it's poetry. Asne Seierstad is an excellent writer. She cares about people and you can feel it from the first to the last page. She gives every single (not for me) detail of people , so actually you can almost see the person that she is talking about. I just loved this book. Asne is a special journalist. I'm reading 101 Days in Baghdad: wonderful book. She tell all about of trying to be a journalist in Baghdad before, during and after the war. Can't miss it.

G L Rowley

A searing account of life in post-Taliban Afghanistan that stays with the reader long afterwards.

Hilay

i think the bookseller os kabul was a facinating book. it highlighted the main events and the culture of afghans highlighting the main events. it definitely deserved to be ne of the best selling books![

Debbie Hurford

I am still under the spell of The Bookseller of Kabul; it has given me so much food for thought and I would love to read the sequal to see what happens with Leila.

kay

The Bookseller of Kabul

Norwegian journalist Asne Seierstad has written a compelling disclosure of life in a "middle class" Afghani family. Considering the extreme strictures of that country, it is quite amazing that she was accepted into the "Kahn" home - and in this capacity allowed enough freedom to do her research. The book certainly is valuable to the reader because of its timeliness and illumination of a suppressed society we are fortunate not to have born into.

joe melarkey

old world

An addictive read.Plays out like a novel ........... but very informative. Captures the "normality" of everyday life in a subtle way.I became engrossed in their way of life yet detached because of the gravity of their existence.Found the author egoless".."selfless"......"journalistic"..and compassionate, all in all a topical informative yet disturbing read.

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